The expert emphasized that it will be very difficult to liberate Crimea, as well as the territories of Donbas occupied since 2014.
Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military expert of the “Information Resistance” group, believes that by spring the Ukrainians will be able to de-occupy part of Luhansk region and the left-bank Kherson region.
As he noted on the air of the informational telethon, we will be able to hear positive news from Luhansk region by the end of this year. At the beginning of next year – from Kherson or Zaporizhzhia.
“I see the situation: by the end of 2022, at least, there will be positive events in Luhansk region. In the first quarter of 2023, there may be positive events already at the Zaporozhye bridgehead and in the left-bank Kherson region. But to say that the war will end in the spring is very optimistic, in my opinion, because there is still temporarily occupied Crimea, which will be very difficult to liberate, as well as parts of Luhansk region and Donetsk region, which have been captured since 2014, and there is indeed a line of defense, fortifications, and it will be very difficult to break through there. line of defense. That’s why, in my opinion, it will take longer,” Kovalenko said.
At the same time, he emphasized that making predictions is a thankless task, as events in the war zone develop unpredictably, and anything can happen.
Kovalenko also commented on the situation with mass missile attacks and the work of the Air Defense Forces of Ukraine. He emphasized that there are now noticeable changes in our air defense system, namely, the range of funds has expanded, in particular, more and more western models are appearing.
“But we have a rather large part of it – Soviet air defense. And in order to get ammunition, we must turn to countries that use these systems as well. This issue is urgent and acute, because the Russian invaders are now increasing their missile strikes,” the expert noted.
He also added that there is also a threat of using Iranian ballistic missiles.
“But Iran is not a country that can mass-produce any product that requires high-tech intervention. The same UAVs are not produced by the thousands. The same ballistic missiles are not produced in the thousands, but in the hundreds. And they keep for themselves in order to be constantly in combat readiness. That is why they can provide Russia with, for example, 100 units of ballistic missiles,” Kovalenko believes.
According to him, if the Russians launch these Iranian missiles together with UAVs or air missiles, it will be a serious burden on our air defense, and defense “breakthroughs” are possible.
“And these are very dangerous ballistic missiles, it is difficult to intercept them, and this is the danger. Ukraine is now expecting anti-aircraft missile systems from its partners that can help in the fight against these missiles. These are primarily Franco-Italian SAMP-T. Russians, Iranian missiles, time will tell “, Kovalenko said.
The end of the war in Ukraine: forecasts of experts
The Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, retired Major General Volodymyr Gavrylov, said that the war launched by Russia against Ukraine may end by the end of spring 2023. At the same time, he emphasized that negotiations with the Russian Federation are possible only on the condition that Russian troops withdraw from the territory of Ukraine.
Historian and political analyst Valery Solovei believes that the war may continue in the spring of 2023. He added that, most likely, everything will be decided in the spring.
At the same time, the head of the Main Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, predicts that hostilities on the territory of Ukraine should end at the end of spring – by the summer of 2023. According to him, to begin with, the armed forces will go to the borders of Ukraine in 1991.
